Baby Bump: Coming in October

Maybe my 7-month baby bump doesn't look like much, but Baby Frantz is certainly growing stronger by the day - those karate kicks are too! 

I love to put my feet up on the couch and rest both hands on either side of my belly and feel the baby roll and flip. Then there are those times that its little toes get lodged in my rib cage, not a pleasant feeling. 

I am so looking forward to meeting this little life! 

 

Reflections on the Med School Routine

The first week of medical school past by quickly. We're learning the pros and cons of the medical student lifestyle.

Pros:
- We have dinner together every night
- Eric no longer is gone on 24-hour shifts, so we get to share the same bed. That has never been routine for us.
- Studying has been a source of quality time together, as I work on story assignments (or blog posts, like this one) alongside my hubby. I get an occasional hug or kiss from him, and then he resumes to fill his brain with biochemistry or anatomy.


Cons:
- Late nights for Eric leave him exhausted.
- In the past week Eric has spent more quality time with his cadaver than with me. (He says he'd prefer my company)
- Anticipation of Baby Frantz arriving during this hectic schedule is stressful - is there ever going to be a good time for the kiddo to come?

We're entrusting that to the Lord. We have no control over it, so why worry? Yet...the tendency to do so is always present in this female's mind.
Have any verses to share on trusting the Lord?

White Coat Ceremony

  

My handsome hubby before the ceremony started.

                                    

                                        Eric was one of 344 students accepted into IU Medical School. Big class.

I barely got a picture of Eric getting his White Coat put on, since this lady stood up.

Proud wife of an overwhelmed husband. Class started on Monday, Aug. 12th

Heading Home

We hiked our last day at Denali National Park.
We ate blueberries from the bushes along the path.
Baby Frantz liked that.

Bluest blueberries you'll find in the U.S. - yum!

Today is our last day in Alaska. 

We fly out at 8 p.m. tonight from Fairbanks and arrive in Indianapolis Sunday morning.
It's been a blessing of a trip. Thanks for sharing in a little portion of it with us!

Denali: 'The Great One'

Wednesday we took the Alaskan Rail Road from Anchorage to the Denali National Park. 

It was another scenic trip. 

A time to relax. 

I took too many pictures of Denali (Mt. McKinley). 

We hiked in the Denali National Park, and will be leaving tonight for Fairbanks. 

Our plane will fly out Saturday evening. 

Our first sight of Denali. It hid behind clouds, its head peaking out (upper left hand corner).

Clearer views of Denali

Just looking at the mountain makes me want to climb it.

While at the lodge I came across a LIFE magazine article from 1945 written on mountaineering. 

I love the old-style writing from the 40s and 50s, and had to write down this quote, which so perfectly describes one of the reasons I love being around mountain peaks.

"That men have climbed the Matterhorn and McKinley, Aconcagua and Nanda Devi - and that they will eventually climb Everest itself - means little. That they should climb them and try to climb them means everything. For it is the ultimate wisdom of the mountains that a man is never more a man than when he is striving for what is beyond his grasp and that there is no conquest worth the winning save that over his own weakness and ignorance and fear." 

Being surrounded by majestic peaks brings more than just strong feelings of wanting to conquer the lofty heights. As I look at them I also am able to grasp the power of the Lord we serve. If I can feel so awe-inspired simply looking at something He created, I can somehow begin to grasp how splendid is His holy presence. 

"I lift up my eyes to the mountains—
    where does my help come from?

My help comes from the Lord,
    the Maker of heaven and earth."

Psalm 121:1-2

Seldovia: Fishing Excursion

Halibut fishing is an experience...

...especially for a 7-month-pregnant woman and her husband. 

Eric and I woke early for a hefty breakfast of blueberry pancakes and scrambled eggs served by the bed and breakfast run by a husband and wife team, Dave and Peggy. 

Peggy, an energetic lady who loves the Lord, cooks amazing food and Dave, a competitive fisherman with a goofy grin, is captain of their boat, Peggy 'n' Me. 

We set off on the seas around 7 a.m. 

Our fishing companions included a Montana rancher and his two grown daughters. 

They had lively personalities and kept us laughing during the hour trip to our fishing spot. 

The waters were "a bit lumpy" that morning, according to Dave. 

That just meant the waves kept the boat rocking once we settled down and set the anchor. 

We set up fishing reels, and were just about to begin fishing. 

Then the topsy-turvy motion of the boat got the better of my stomach. 

I ran to the edge of the boat and gave my breakfast over to the fish. 

This happened three times before Eric finally forced me to take motion sickness meds. 

For the rest of the day I didn't eat or drink anything, just to avoid getting sick again. 

 Once we settled into fishing I brought in two 25- to 30-pound Halibut. 

Eric caught two 40-pounders.  Woohoo!

To finish off the day I threw up once more.

Once back to shore I drank two 7Ups and nibbled on a sandwich.

Needless to say, Eric and I felt thoroughly exhausted. 

We were not only tired and hungry, but our face were burnt a deep red.

I would definitely do it again though. What a great experience! 

Eric's 40-pound Halibut and me holding my 7Up

From Left to Right: Capt. Dave, Rachel, Sarah, Don, Eric, and Katy with all our Halibut

With both my fish I had someone help me pull them in. That's how much upper body strength this city girl has....not much. Capt. Dave helped with the first one and I tried my best with the last one, but called for Eric's help. I obviously have a lot to learn about how to properly reel in a 25-pound Halibut.

Map of Our Travels

Our trip has kept us busy.

The past three days have consisted of church on Sunday in Anchorage, a long drive along the Alaskan coast, Halibut fishing, and finally getting back to Anchorage and taking the train to Denali State Park. 

It's been wonderful - though we have just been in need of some rest. We are now at a lodge on the fringes of the Denali State Park, resting and recuperating from our adventures so far.

Pictures to follow. Maybe this map will give you an idea of where exactly we've been on our trip.

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View Alaskan Travels in a larger map

Follow this link to view a larger version of my map: https://maps.google.com/maps/ms?msid=206965985692685855980.0004e280e870949cbd602&msa=0&ll=61.217379,-147.524414&spn=5.506253,18.984375